We're Here!

Haines, AK. The Last Frontier and the 49th State.

We made it. Crossed the US-Canadian border and to the disappointment of Tomto we were not frisked, browbeat, or even harshly questioned by the guys at the US Customs station. We chatted, one was a Buckeye fan and they glanced at our passports and sent us on our way. Haines is so not its twin city across the water Skagway. Skagway is the product of the cruise lines, a faux frontier town with floozies in the street and flashing gift stores. Haines in a gritty, winter-worn, slightly hippy-dippy commercial fishing village. The greeter at the information center was surley and the hotel deskman was less than cordial. Clerks in stores look up and grunt when you come in. Not really true in all places but enough so as you notice that this is not a town built on tourism. Kind of refreshing really.

Dinner at the Lighthouse Cafe, on the water overlooking a harbor of mostly fishing boats, both commercial and for hire sport fishermen. Halibut and salmon, very good fish and OK veggies and salad. Next AM after a night in our suite at the Thunderbird (we got a 10% discount for not using the kitchen), we had breakfast at the Bamboo Room (really, there are very pale live bamboo plants growing in each window). The natives were friendlier including folks in the motel parking lot... one young Californian told us his sister was being married at Chilkat in the afternoon and he was very excited to be here. A Canadian gave us advice about the two main state parks... there are bears at the Chilkoot Lake Park. The Californian had actually seen them catching fish out of wiers along the rive up there. The Canadian said the fishing is not so good at Chilkat so we elected to head that direction.

Seven miles along a very picturesque bay and then about 3 miles on an unimproved gravel road and there we were. Wooded sites, only one other site occupied so we had the pick of sites. Found a nice level site not far from the trash cans and the pit toilets. Lots of bear warning stuff here too so we took precautions. Packed all food and toiletries in the Jesse Bags, the bear would destroy the bike before he could get in those boxes. The only thing left was our beer stash. We'd purchase a six pack and a bag of ice in town and had two cans and a leftover Canadian plus lots of ice in our cooler bag. There was no room in the Jesse's for beer! Tomto is nothing if not a rule follower, I wanted to hid the cooler in the weeds but NO... Tomto had been burned a few years ago when we camped at Glacier, someone in our camp had left an empty Moose Drool bottle on top of the bear box and the camp host came by and sternly admonished us to keep our bear attractions in safe keeping. Tomto wasn't going to let that repeat so he determined to make a tree anti-bear beer cache by throwing a length of nylon line over a tree branch and hoisting the cooler into the tree. We were tired, had had a couple of beers and more halibut so this project took longer than it should have. In fact I was in bed before the project was completed. It must have taken Tomto at least an hour to find the perfect tree and branch and to get the line over the branch. But this morning the cooler was still in the tree and we were not eaten by bears or hasseled by rangers.

Yesterday was perfect weather. I rained last night and it's cool and damp today. One more night in the camp, then blessed motel and shower Sunday night.

Ferry on Monday evening.